Japanese Player Isao Hirono Autographed Ball

In 1998 I met Isao Hirono at the motel we were staying at in Arizona while attending the Seattle Mariners fantasy camp. Hirono was the hitting coach for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese baseball league who were in Arizona conducting the teams Spring training. We we in the lobby waiting for dinner when the Japanese team came in. Dave Henderson of the Mariners and Hirono started talking about which one had hit the most important home run in their career. Henderson told Hirono about his game five home run for the Red Sox in the 1986 playoffs and Hirono told Henderson that he had two grand slams. One was a walk off and one was on the first pitch that was thrown to him. (Apparently only two other Japanese players have accomplished this feat). I captured a photo of Hirono holding up two fingers when explaining to Henderson about his two grand slams. I sat and talked with him for quite a while. He signed a Arizona Fall league baseball in Japanese and English and wrote "grand slam two times, good buy" on the ball in both English and Japanese. He also gave me his business card and I got a photo with him